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A. OITEBB'ETTS 8TH. E. DOGGET-T. MEGNANTSM TORIAUTOMATTGALLY CUTTING BUTTON HOLES 0N SEWING MACHINES. No. 438,655. Patented Oct. 2.1, 1890.

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mi unile P11-Ens co., Pnnvo- NTTED STATES PATENTA OFFICE, I

ALVAI-I C. 'FEBBETTS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND HORACE E. DOG- GETT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE VHEELER do IVILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY CUTTING BUTTON-HOLES 0N SEWING-MACHINES. l

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 438,655, dated October 21, 1890. Application filed May 20, 1886; Serial No, 202,742. (No model.)

1 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ALvAH C. TEBBETTS, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, and HORACE E. DOGGETT, of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Mechanism for Automatically Cutting Button-Holes on Sewing-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

Prior to this our invention it has been customary, as in a machine described in United u States Patent No. 303,454, dated August l2,

1884, to cut a button-hole slit in the material while held in the clamp, the clamp, while the cutter is acting to cut the slit in the said material, presenting the material in such position Within the path of the needle as to permit the latter in its descent to enter the material Within the said clamp. In the said patent the cutter is operated by hand.

The main object of this our invention is to operate the button-hole cutter automatically and by devices independent of the needle-bar, and to carry out our invention in the best and most practicable manner We have provided the front Wit-ha rocking cutter-baroperating shaft located parallel to the needlebar-actuating shaft and with means whereby the operation of the cutter-baroperating shaft and the cutteris made dependent upon the movement of a wheel or a disk which is rotated once during the stitching of each button-hole, the said Wheel ordisk effecting the movement of the cloth-clamp for each button-hole Whatever may be its length or the number of stitches required to complete it; or, in other words, we have selected for the timing of the descent of the cutter a part of the machine which, under all conditions of adjustment, is rotated in the same time with relation to the commencement and completion of the stitching of abutton-hole. In the embodiment of ourinvention as herein shown the part selected is the feeding Wheel or disk common to United States Patent No. 303,453. It is essential to the perfect operation of a button -hole cutter that the cutter should de- 5o scend only at the proper time and but once in cutting each button-hole; so We have devised means whereby the cutter will descend at just the proper time and but once during each complete movement of the clamp carrying the material to be stitched for the production of the button-hole.

It Will be obvious that the feeding Wheel or disk controlling each complete movement of the clamp holding the material, by rotating 6o once for each button-hole, will have to travel different distances at each step of the clothclamp, the distance depending upon the number of stitches in the button-hole, the

greater the number of stitches the less the movement of the said disk at each step of the clamp,and vice Versa, and the greater the number of stitches the slower the rotation of the wheel or disk.

To insure but one movement of the cutter- 7o bar for each rotation of the feeding wheel or disk, We have provided the machine with va tripping device having two members which, when once made to contact with each other to bring into operation the devices which tion each to the other, and they cannot, by 8o the right operation of the machine in stitching, be again brought in contact to effect the descent of the cutter-bar except as the tripping device carried by the feeding Wheel or disk again arrives in operative position after the completionof another button-hole.

The cutter-bar carrying the cutting-blade is supported in the head of the machine, and is caused to descend positively at the proper time by or through a horizontal cutter-bar- 9o actuating shaft located in the arm of the machine parallel to the needle-bar-actuating shaft and joined by suitable connecting mechanism operatively with the said cutterbar.

We have herein so constructed the apparatus for actuating the cutter-bar and have so combined it operatively with relation to the cloth-clamp and the mechanism for moving the said clamp that the descent of the cutterbar is automatically determined and effected substantially as the stitching of each button-hole is being completed, the cutter, after making its downward stroke, being speedily withdrawn to its upper position out of the way of the descending needle to avoid interference therewith.

The particulai1 features in which our invention consists will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure lisa rear side elevation of a Wheeler & Vilson machine having our improvements added thereto, a part of the frame-work being broken out to show the usual main shaft; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of Fig. l, the overhanging arm being partially broken out to show parts below it; Fig. 3, a partial section in the line .fr Fig. l; Fig. 4, a detail of the upper end of the cutter-carrying bar and part of the head of the machine, to be described; Fig. 5, a section of the bar 10 in the dotted line e, Fig. 3, to show the yoke and parts carried by it. Fig. 5a is asection thereof in the dotted line z', Fig. 5. Fig. Gis adetail of the annular pawl-carrier, and Fig. 7 a top view of the slotted throat-plate detached.

Our invention is shown as applied to a \Vheeler du Tilson machine, style No. l0, the said machine being provided with a clothholding clamp, substantially such as shown in United States Patent No. 303,453, and with means to move it, substantially as provided for in United States Patent No. 303,557, dated August 12, 1884.

Referring to the drawings herein, the bedplate A, the overhanging arm A, the needlebar-actuating rock-shaft A7, the link A8 to move it, the main shaft A9, the needle-barA 10, the arm A12, attached to the shaft Al, and the link A13 and take-up A are all common to the said Vheeler di Wilson sewing-machine. The ratchet-toothed wheel D3 and the feeding cam-disk E below it, the cloth-clamp composed of the members G G', foot H, and lever G2, the lever A5, having the slotted arm D, and the catch-lever b3 are all substantially as in United States Patent No. 303,453, wherein like parts are designated by like letters. The parts herein shown as intermediate the feeding or cam disk E and the clamp (and for moving the said clamp) are all substantially the same as in the said Patent No. 303,557.

The wheel D3 and feeding or cam disk E, rotated intermittingly by a pawl (to be dcscribed) and the devices set in motion by the feeding cam or disk to impart to the clothclamp its motions to carry the material clamped between its jaws under the needle a,

are all substantially as provided for in the said patents, and the said devices, being old and not of our invention, need not be herein further described. Instead of the exact devices herein shown by which to actuate the clothclam-p, we may employ any other suitable or well-known mechanism forproducing like movements in the clamp and carrying it under the needle'bar to be stitched, as will be herein described.

Ilerein the slotted arm D has attached toit by a suitable screw 3 a link a', which is jointed to a substantially annular pawl-carrier a2, (shown detached in Fig. 6,) the said pawl-carrier being placed between the feeding or cam disk E and the toothed wheel D.

As the pawl-carrier a2 is reciprocated, the pawl a3 mounted upon it engages the teeth of the wheel D3, and through it the stud 4, connecting it with the feeding cam ordisk E, causing the latter to be rotated in unison with it.

The wheel D3 at its upper side has secured to it by a screw 5 a fingeror tripping device 6, herein shown as attached to the plate D3.

The overhanging arm A( of the machine is provided with suitable bearings b2, within which is mounted a cutter-bar-actuating shaft Z913, provided atits front end with an arm b4, attached by a lilik h5 to a stud b, having an eye bl, which receives in it a suitable screw G6, by which to connect the said stud loosely to the upper end ot' the cutter-bar a5, the said bar actuated by mechanism independent of the needle-bar, having at its lower end a cutting-blade n, the cutter-bar being surrounded by a spiral spring o, the upper end of which is acted upon by a collar o2.

The bar n has a pin n, which enters a diagonal groove a3 in a sleeve-like bearing n2, attached to the arm A, the said cutter-car rying bar, cutter-spring, and sleeve being substantially the same as are the parts designated by like letters in United States Patent N o. 303,454, the said cutter-bar having a partial rotation as it descends and also when it ascends, as described in the said patent, the cutting-blade NGcutting a slot in the material held under the foot H, while the foot, with the material under it, is in position to be pene trated by the needle a, as provided for in the said patent.

The shaft D13 is rocked to effect the descent of the cutter-carrying bar only when the but ton-hole slit is to be cut in the material through mechanism which will now be described, the cutter on the cutter-bar after making one downward stroke being speedily withdrawn to its upper position and thrown into a position out of the way of the descending needle to avoid being struck by the said needle or needlebar.

The shaft 513 has fast upon it an arm e, which is connected by a link e with an arm e2, secured to one end of a clutch-box e3, surrounding loosely the needle-bar operating shaft A7. This clutch-box is provided with a series of clutching-teeth, as at e4, and with a IOO shoulder e5 and a notch c6, all shown in Fig. 1, the part of the clutch-box havin g the clutching-teeth c4 being attached to the shouldered part e5, so as to move in unison with it.

moving the clutch-box in the direction of the arrow upon it in Fig. 1, causing the engagement of the teeth e4 with the teeth of the hub e7, fast on the shaft A7, so that as the said shaft is rocked positively in moving the needle-bar down the clutch-box is caused to rotate or rock in unison with the said shaft and rock the shaft 513 in the direction to eifect the descent of the cutter-carrying bar As the needle-bar-actuating rock-shaft A7 is turned in the direction to cause the descent of the cutter-carrying bar, the notched end e6 of the clutch-box acts upon the beveled finger 82 of a bar 82, held in place, as herein shown, by an eye at its lower end, which `embraces the shaft Z913, the contact of the said beveled notch e6 with the said beveled projection S1 causing the clutch-box c3 to be moved in a direction opposite the'arrow marked thereon (see Fig. 1) and effect the disengagement of the teeth e4 from the teeth of the hub e7 by the time that the cutter-carryingbar has reached its lowest position. As the clutch-box e3 is moved backward upon the shaft A7, as described, the shoulder part e5 thereof acts upon and compresses the spring 30, and as soon as the said shoulder passes the end of the catch 15 the latter, through the bar 10, acted upon by the spring 12, is immediately thrown down at its forward end, so as to again lock the clutch-box in position and permit the shaft A7 to be rocked to actuate the needle-bar, but Without moving the shaft 513 or the cuttercarrying bar 'm5, which derives its motion from the said shaft Z913.

The finger 6, before described as attached to the ratchet-toothed wheel D3, forms one member of a tripping mechanism, the other member of which is the lever 7, the latter cooperating directly with the finger 6. The lever 7 is pivoted at. 8 on a yoke 9, secured to the bar 10. This bar l0, of irregular shape, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, is normally kept elevated by a spring 12, attached to it and to a lug 13, the said bar being herein shown as guided at its lower end in a guide 14, attached to a foot-plate 34, secured to one of the ways C by screws 35. The upper end of the bar 10, bent substantially at right angles, as shown in Fig. 3, is slotted to embrace one end of the pivoted catch l5, before referred to.

The yoke 9 of the bar 10 carries a dog 16, herein shown as a pin, the rear end of which is slotted to receive the lever 7, the atterbe-l ing acted upon by a spring 17, which normally keeps the rear side of the said lever against a stop 19, as represented in Fig. 5, the said lever at such time also acting upon a pin 2O or other projection of the said dog to keep the beveled forward end thereof substantially within its guiding recess in the bar 10, as shown in the section, Fig. 5a. The dog 16 is surrounded by a spring 1S, which is located between the lever 7 and a pin or projection 22 of the said dog.

The outer end of the slotted part D of the lever A5 has a pin 3l, which enters a hole or slot in an elbow-lever 32, pivoted at 33 on the foot-plate 34, the said lever being attached by link 36 to a pin or screw 37 of a vibrating arm 23, attached to a rock-shaft 38, held in suitable standards or bearings 39, forming part of the said foot-plate, the said arm 23 being vibrated in unison with the lever A5 or rising and falling at each stitch. The adjacent ends of the arms 23 and dog 16 are reversely inclined or beveled, as shown in Fig. 1.

The finger 6 is so located upon the toothed wheel D3 as to strike the free end of the lever 7 just before the completion of the buttonhole or while one ormore stitches have yet to be made, and the finger 6, acting upon the lever 7, pushes the same forward, as in Fig. 2, causing the beveled end of the dog 16 to be projected beyond the bar 10 in position to be caught by the vibrating arm 23 at just the time when the cutter-bar is to be depressed or when the button-hole is stitched and the material between the lines of stitching is to be cut. bar 10 while the arm 23 is rising, the beveled end of the arm acting against the beveled end of the dog will push the latter backward, compressing the spring 13; but as soon as the end of the arm 23 rises above the end of the dog the spring 1S acts quickly and throws the dog forward, ready to be caught by the arm 23 at its next descent. /Vhen the arm 23 strikes the Lipper side of the dog 16, the bar 10 and its yoke 9 are caused vto descend, which eects the removal of the free end of the lever 7 from contact with the finger 6, and the spring 17 immediately throws the lever 7 back against the pin or projection 19 and to the rear side of the nger 6, so that the latter cannot again strike the free end of the lever 7 until after the wheel D3 has made another rotation. The movement of the lever 7, as described, to a position back of the finger 6 prevents the possibility of the dog 16 being held forward by the lever 7 long enough to enable the arm 23 to strike it twice and cause two descents of the bar 10 and two operations or descents of the cutter-carrying bar n. of the bar 10, as described, causes the catch 15 to be turned, effecting the instantaneous release of the clutch-box and the instantaneous descent of the cutter ns. The downward thrust of the cutter and its ascent are made to take place while the needle is descending If the dog 16 is pressed through the.

The depression IOO IIO

IZO

in the goods held by the clamp, the cutter rising before the needle-barbegins to ascend.

The c utter-bar-actuating shaft Z113 and its operative connections with the cutter-carrying bar a5 and the ncedle-bar-operating shaft constitute a depressor or depressing mechanism for causing the descent of the cutter at the moment when a button-hole is to be eut, and, although this is the depressor or depressing mechanism which I prefer to employ, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto.

In practice the machine will be provided with a suitable lever to release the catch-lever b3 and automatically stop the machine, as provided for in the Patent No. 303,453, herein referred to.

This invention is not limited to the precise mechanism herein shown by which to actnate the cutter-carrying rock-shaft and the critter'- bar, and it includes as within its scope any equivalentmechanism for moving the cutteractuating rock-shaft from another moving shaft of the machine, forming a part of the train of mechanism for actuating the stitchforming devices, to thereby impart to the eut ter-carrying bar one single stroke for each button-hole slit to be cut, the said cutter-carrying bar being actuated positively and its time of operation being governed by the position of awheel or feeding cam or disk, which controls the movement of the cloth-clamp, soV

that the said cutter-bar is operated in the proper time no matter what may be the number of stitches required for the completion of the button-hole or the character of the hole to be made.

The cloth-plate has applied to it a throatplate (5S, having a needle-hole G9 and a slot 70, in which descends the cutter nf'.

IVe Claiml. A sewing-machine containing the following instrumentalities, viz: stitch-forming devices, a slotted throat-plate, a cloth-clamp, a rotating wheel or cam for reciprocating the latter beneath the needle to enable the button-hole to be worked by the stitch-forming mechanism, a cutter-bar reciprocating in the head of the machine adjacent to the needlebar of the stitch-forming mechanism, a cutter carried by the said cutter-bar, a needle-baropcrating shaft, a eutter-bar-operating shaft, both located above the bed-plate of the machine, the cutter-bar-operating shaft being normally held out of action, connecting devices between the said cutter-bar-operating shaft and the said n eedle-bar-operatin g shaft,

whereby the needle-bar-operating shaft may operate the eutter-bar-aetuating shaft at desired intervals, atripping mechanism by which the connecting devices between the needlebar and cutter-bar actuating shafts may be operatively connected, and a rotating device moving in unison with the clamp-operating cam or wheel to operate the said tripping mechanism at the proper time 4to cause the cutter-bar and cutter carried by it to descend and cut a button-hole beneath the needle when the stitching of the said hole is nearly or wholly completed, substantially as described.

2. A sewing-machine containingthe following instrumentalities, viz: a needle-bar, an operating-shaft therefor located above the bed-plate, a cutter-bar separate from and independent of the said needle-bar, a cutter Acarried by said cutter-bar, a slotted throatplate, a cutt er-bar-operatin g shaft also located above the bed-plate and near the needle-baroperating shaft, connecting devices between the said shafts, which connecting devices are normally held out of action, a cloth-clamp, a cam or wheel for operating the latter, tripping mechanism for throwing said connecting devices into action to connect the said two shafts when desired in order that the needle-baroperating shaft may intermittingly actnate the cutter-bar-operating shaft, and a rotating device moving in unison with said clamp-op erating cam or wheel for actuating said tripping mechanism at the proper time, substantially as described.

3. rlhe combination, with the needle-operating shaft A7, having the toothed hub e7, the cutter-bar-operatii1g shaft 1113, the cutter-bar and cutter connected with the latter shaft, the toothed clutch-box c3 connected with the said shaft U3, the spring 30, the cloth-clamp and its feeding-disk, a projection or finger G, rotating in unison with said feeding-flisk,t11e catch 15, the bar l0, spring-pressed lever 7, springpressed' dog 16, supported by said bar l0, the vibrating arm 23, and operating mechanism for the latter, substantially as described. y

In testimonywhereof we have signed our names to this speciiieation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALVAH (i. TEBHETTS. HORACE E. DOGGE'F.

XVitnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, C. M. GONE.

ICO 

